Bottle-stopper.



A. H. WRZ.

BOTTLE STOPPER.

APPL|CA-T10N msu JULY x8. 1912` wrrNEssEs il @FEW-E@ AUGUST I-IEIEtlVlIilNv WIRZ, OF MOYLAN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO A. H. WIRE,

INCORPORATED, OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSY"- VANIA.

BOTTLE-STOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, li.

Application filed July' 18, 1912. Serial No. 710,217.

Be it known that I, AUGUST HERMAN IVIRZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Moylan, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania,V have invented a certain new and useful Bottle-Stopper, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for effectually sealing a bottle stopper opening of limited size and to keep the metallic part 'of the stopper from coming in contactv with the liquid in the bottle as much as possible.

The purposeof my invention is to hold a cap Within or upon a cork and to compress the lcork against a depending extension of the cap by a plug of substantially uniform cross section, secured to a cap cover.

A further purpose of my invention is to retain a cover upon a cork by an attached plug,entering the cork and having substantially the same frictional lengagement therewith throughout a considerable length of movement and to .reinforce the cork annul larly in proximity to the plug. I prefer to hold the cap in place by connecting it with this reinforcement.

A further purpose of my invention is to retain a cap upon or within a cork or other stopper by embedding an extension therefrom Within the stopper, to plug the central stopper' opening and to utilize the ltop portion of the cap as a guide for the plug or protection for the -upper edge of the cork stopper Aadjoining its central opening or both at will.

I have preferred to illustrate my inven tion by forms thereof which I have constructed and successfully tested and which have proved to be simple, eiiicient and inexpensive and at theshme time well illustrate the principles involved in my invention.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a portion .of a bottle top provided with one of the forms of` myinvention. Fig. 2 is a brokenlongitudinal section of another form embodying my invention. Figs. 3 and 4 are Y respective views of the plug and tops shown in Figs. l and 2 respectively. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the form of cap shown in Fig. l. Figs. 6 and 7 are a top plan view and a central,longitudinal section of a cork adapted to carry out my invention.

- The construction is intended to be appli-ed particularly to closures for bottles containing highly volatile fluids, perfumeries, es-

opening.

serted. In the use for which -sential oils, etc., though it is also advantacontaining a wide Within the bottle l, I have shown a cork 2 made of any suitable material. The bottle is usually illed before thev'stopper is inthis form of stopper is particularly adapted7 the contents of a bottle are seldom required in large quantities at any onetime and they are normally Withdrawn through a relatively small central aperture 3.

I have aimed to provide an eifective coin bination between the cork on the one hand and a cap Ll, 4 and plug top 5, 5 on the other. In this combination I cover the top of the cork and the mouth of the bott-le with a metallic ilanged cap, so far as desired'by the manufacturer, retain the cap upon 'the vcork by an annular extension or tube depending from the cap, and guard the 'edge of the central opening-of the cork against injury when inserting the plug and use the top of the plug as the top of the stopper.

Preferably concentric with the cent-ral opening 3, I slit the cork 2 annularly, as at 6, 6 -t`o lany suitable depth commensurate with the length of the cap extension or tube 7, 7 which is to be inserted. The proj-'ee tion may be V.spaced from the central' aperture to any extent-desired by the manufae turer under the speeia'lconditions of intended use. It should leave a thickness of cork on each side of it sufficient to avoid undue danger of disintegration and to permit the requisite cork compression between the bottle and the extension on the outside and the extension and central openingen the inside. I find that the gripping of the cork upon both sides of this extension at 8 and 9 under the compression of the bottle neck and the expansion due to the plugl pressure Within'. the vcentral opening holds this annular extension quite' rmly even when but a short extension is used.V -I prefer to cut the slit 6, 6 to' the depth required before inserting the cap as the material and construction of the cap do not admit of its cutting the cork to the best advantage. I finish the outer part of the top of the cap by any suitable flange l0 which may readily be made to cover the joint between the cork and the mouth of the bottle and will ordinarily be so constructed for reasons both of utility and beauty.

I provide an upper extension 11, 11" from 'the cap performing-a three-fold function in the preferred form. It coperates with the top 5, fitting within the flange 12, 12 to protect the top of the cap. Interiorly it.

guides the plug 13 and, since this plug is most desirably of uniform diameter, performs the guiding function from the time when the plug first begins to enter the passage 14, 14. Thisl in .itself will in most instances afford sufiicient protection for the upper inner edge of the cork about the open/ing 3 against disintegration due to top contact of the end of the plug or excessive side friction through careless entry of the plug. As an additional precaution, I prefer to extend' the cap inwardly/"adjoining the passage 14 in substantial contact with the Cork to a position so fully protecting the upper edge of the cork opening that even a tapered plug could not be so carelessly or improperly inserted as to damage the up- .per edge of the cork about its opening 3.

This inner extension of the cap substantially Hush with the upper edge of the cenppal opening in the cork at 15 is shown .in '11g'.

It will be evident that the two means of protecting the upper edge of the central opening 3 are alternative to the extent that one only, if fully effective, is required and that when both are used, they afford additional security against injury to the cork at vthis point. It will be evident also that both means of protection for the upper edge of by engagement with the plug 13.

. The plug 13 is made enough larger than the opening 3 in the cork to cause compression ofthe annular portion 16, 16 of the cork lying between the extension 7 and the plug 13. The tightness of the flt of the eX- tension 7 within its slit is dependent inv part upon the pressure exerted upon the cork at lvbecause of insertion of the plug 13, making the cap fit more tightly within the cork when the plug is in place.

The straight plug of substantially uniform cross section is quite advantageous for a number of reasons. Except for the difference in extent of contact when inserted but part way, its sealing engagement with the cork is quite as effective when the plug is partially inserted or withdrawn as when fully in place. The friction preventing or retarding accidental or improper withdrawal continues until the lower end of the plug is removed entirely from the cork subject to such slight rounding of the extreme forward edge as may be necessary to relieve against van absolutely sharp edge.

1 In the form shown in Fig. 1 the plug 13 swells the pprtion 16 at the upper end of the cork but does not swell the outer annulus 17 appreciably because of the constriction of the extension 7. In this form, however, the plug extends a considerable distance beyond the annular extension 7 to parts of the cork wherethis constriction is not present, with the result that the plug tightens the cork in the bottle as well as the cap within the cork when inserted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character stated, a cork having a central opening and annularly slitted about said opening, a cap covering the cork having a depending tube fitting into the slit, said cap extending inwardly above the cork farther toward the axis of the opening than is the tube to form a central opening effective as a guide and protecting the edge of the opening in the cork, in combination with a plug of approximately uniform diameter movable in saidl guide to close the central opening in the cork.

2. In a device of the character stated, a cork having a central opening and slitted longitudinally about the opening, a cap for the cork,'having a tubular part depending within the slit of the cork, and extending inwardly above the cork farther toward the axis of the opening than is the tubular art but in proximity to the tubular part to frdrm a protection for the upper edge of the central opening in the cork, in combination with a plug adapted to close said central opening.

3. In a device of the character stated, a cork having a central opening and slitted annularly about the opening for a portion onlyA of its length,acap having'an annularly depending part fitting within the slit of the cork and a plug lar er in diameter than the opening `and of su stantially uniform diameter adapted to lit the interior of thel central opening of the cork and to extend axially below the depending part, swelling the upper part of the cork against the annularly depending cap member and thc lower part of the cork against the bottle neck.

4. In a device of the character stated, a cork having a central opening and slotted annularly about the opening, a tube fitting into the 'slot and terminating in a cap, a plug of substantially uniform diameter adapted to enter the central opening and an los nieoee cork having a circular' central plug opening and adapted to receive a cap-retaining tube surrounding the opening,- in combination with a surmountmg cap having an upper tubular pouring spoutand a depending tubular retaining member adapted to engage frictionally With the cork and extending part of the length of the cork only and being retained therein by the friction of the tube against the cork, in combination with a top for the cap having a depending straight plug tting in the central opening ofthe cork and extending beyond the end of the tubular retaining member and sealing against the sides of the cork beyond the end of said retaining member.

6. A metallic cap having e depending cork-engaging tube on one side and a pour in spout. on the other side, a-cork substantie ly longer than the depending tube,adapt ed to receive said tube and retain' it by frictional engagement, and provided with a, central opening for a plug, in combination with a plug of uniform diameter sealing against the WellsV of the central opening in the cork below the tube at one end and extending out through the pouring spout at thevother end.

THOMAS D. MowLDs, HELEN I. 'Knmmm 

